The early morning sun had not yet risen; only a white line was faintly visible in the east.
Before the darkness of night lifted, a layer of gray fog enveloped Snake Fish Town's Mount Sanqing.
Mount Sanqing, about a hundred miles from the county town, consists of three peaks towering side by side, resembling the serene posture of the three pure ones, hence its name.
A peculiar green plant swayed in the morning wind and fog.
Unlike other weeds, it shone with a translucent hue, bearing a single dewdrop, gently trembling…
WHOOSH!
A hoe suddenly swung down from thin air and in an instant, uprooted the foot-tall 'weed' without harming even a tiny part of its root system—clearly the work of an experienced hand.
Shaking off the dark, stinky soil, the one clutching this herb was a young man who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old.
"Two taels of Snake Bone Herb, worth around two hundred copper wen, shouldn't vary too much. Following the team into the mountains this time finally yielded the greatest harvest."
Chen Ku lifted this herb, known as Snake Bone Herb, to his forehead, examining it up close.
The roots of the herb were segmented, resembling snake bones, as he confirmed once more that he hadn't misidentified it.
Only then did he carefully place it back into the bamboo basket on his back.
In the bamboo basket lay other common herbs, but none as valuable as this Snake Bone Herb.
"Two hundred wen converts to the purchasing power of about two hundred yuan on Earth. In this world, that would buy twenty kilograms of rice, seven or eight kilograms of pork, or about a hundred kilograms of firewood…"
"All the herbs in my basket combined, including the Snake Bone Herb, could probably sell for around four hundred wen. Subtracting fifty wen for the mountain entry fee and the half-tax required for Scattered People… that's half of the income. The remaining hundred or so wen are my earnings for the day! So poor!"
A sense of resignation filled Chen Ku.
It was unexpected to wake up and find myself as an herbalist in the remote frontier town of Snake Fish Town, Baojiao County, Ji Country, in its 153rd year.
Here, every mountain had an owner; they belonged to large landowners.
Just like on Earth, going into someone else's field to pick strawberries or fishing in another's pond meant you had to pay a fee!
Not only did entering the mountains to gather herbs cost money, but so did cutting firewood.
That saying, 'This mountain is mine, this tree I planted,' isn't without reason.
If you dared to sneak into the mountains to gather herbs or chop wood without permission and got caught by the landowner, their family servants could beat you to death on the spot without even needing to report it to an official.
Moreover, I'm a Scattered Person, removed from the registry.
I was forced to grit my teeth and save up money to pay the entry fee just to earn the right to enter.
Without household registration, one was known as a Scattered Person—someone removed from the registry.
The Imperial Court did not recognize these people as its citizens.
There's a saying in the imperial court: "If a prince commits a crime, he is dismissed from the clan and demoted to a commoner."
Scattered People are worse off than commoners. Even their household registration is taken away, reducing them to something akin to refugees.
To punish these people, higher taxes are levied on them, just as prostitutes are taxed more.
The reason I became a Scattered Person is because of this body's elder brother.
He was also an herbalist.
Yet, during one of his herb-gathering ventures, he trespassed into Yuan Country, outside of Ji Country, smuggling herbs back to profit from them.
He was caught on his second attempt, cornered on a mountain path, and ended up jumping off a cliff into a major river of Yuan Country. Presumably, he's dead.
After my brother was recognized on the spot, the crime implicated our entire family. Not only was our property confiscated, but the whole family was removed from the registry and demoted to Scattered People.
And Scattered People are supposed to be expelled from town, becoming refugees.
To avoid becoming even worse off as refugees, we had to register our family of four under Big Brother Zhao in the village, with whom we had a relatively good relationship. My old mother helps with childcare, and my sister-in-law launders clothes, which allows us to continue living in our original home.
His elder sister, already married and living elsewhere, occasionally sent rice and provisions from the county. Without her help, and despite Chen Ku's frequent trips into the mountains to gather herbs, the family struggled to make ends meet.
"A day's earnings, equivalent to a little over a hundred yuan, yet it has to support myself and this entire family…"
I've considered leaving this family behind.
But as I mentioned, refugees have it even tougher than Scattered People. They could die on the streets at any time, much like the homeless of my previous life who slept under bridges and on park benches.
And in this world, there are no kind strangers offering free bread and bottled water…
Though the pressure was great, at least when he went home, there was a hot meal prepared by his mother. That was better than begging on the streets or becoming an unclaimed corpse by the roadside.
Chen Ku was adept at comforting himself, seeking joy amid hardship, and would say to himself:
"'Isn't it just poverty? This could even be considered a fine traditional virtue of the Chinese Nation. Work hard, and the good days are yet to come.'"
This remark was self-deprecating, but it also implicitly contained hope.
My hope stems from the very act of transmigrating itself.
Reflecting on the time before I transmigrated, there was indeed a significant point of doubt. That day, I had just returned from a business trip to the Guan River Mouth of Qingcheng Mountain, and during that time, I inevitably paid homage to Immortal Master Erlang there.
"Could it be related to this?"
Having been in the mountains for a day and a night, my rations are gone. It's time to head back, Chen Ku muttered in his heart.
"True Lord, if only you could show a sign… Even if I don't have much ability, it would be good if you took me by your side to serve you tea and water…"
Murmuring to himself, he had already walked out of the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain, he found that the few people from his village who had entered the mountain with him were already waiting there.
Old Head Li had been the one to introduce the Chen brothers to herb gathering. He loved to smoke a dry pipe. Next to him was his grandson, Li Jiyang, who had a slightly sturdy build but small eyes that gleamed with a clever and astute light.
Seeing Chen Ku approaching with a basket on his back along the path, Old Head Li tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe without standing up, but asked with concern, "Ku boy, you didn't encounter any snakes, did you?"
In Snake Fish Town, there were many snakes in the mountains and many fish in the water.
Chen Ku told the truth, "No, but I found a Snake Bone Herb weighing two taels, which is why I'm late."
Old Li was relieved and then said softly, "A two-tael Snake Bone Herb. Your trip into the mountain was worthwhile."
Chen Ku looked towards Li Jiyang, inquiring about his finds.
He saw Li Jiyang looking slightly smug as he said, "My luck wasn't bad either. I found a Chicken Blood Orchid, worth a good two or three hundred wen. My grandfather did even better; he found a Wild Ginseng that's almost a 'Treasure Herb.'"
Treasure Herb.
Chen Ku's heart stirred; such a thing could be worth several tens of taels of silver, tens of thousands of copper wen.
It was also something that Martial Artists needed for their practice.
He looked towards Old Head.
Old Head Li's eyes, however, showed regret. "The timing wasn't right; we found it too early. Otherwise, with this Wild Ginseng, if we gave it to Medicine King Hall, Jiyang could've gotten a job there doing odd jobs."
Li Jiyang's eyelids drooped as well.
Chen Ku let out a sigh.
The three teachings and nine schools, the five professions and eight trades—the ancient world was sometimes even more clearly ordered than the modern world.
Medicine Trade, Firewood Trade, Fish Trade… these were effectively the Medicine Gang, Firewood Gang, Fish Gang…
They were industries, but also factions.
They almost monopolized certain industries, their behemoth status granting enviable income and standing.
Yet he knew that Old Head Li wanted to send Li Jiyang to Medicine King Hall not just because one could practice martial arts and learn skills truly necessary to survive in these chaotic times there.
The key was that Medicine King Hall was said to have a powerful backer, like a great mountain supporting it.
Once admitted into Medicine King Hall, the Li family also hoped to change their registration from 'Registered Household' to 'County Household.'
They hoped to reverse generations of 'eating dirt' in the mountains. The next generation might then have better conditions for studying, practicing martial arts, and changing the family's destiny.
Only if the grandfather made a name for himself in the village was there a chance to send the father to the county. And only if the father made a name for himself in the county was there a chance to send the son into the city…
There's a saying: 'To change a family's destiny takes at least three generations of hard work.'
The paths for social advancement in the ancient world were even harder and more bitter than in the modern world.
Thinking of my current situation… forget County Household, I first need to secure a Registered Household, Chen Ku's thoughts grew heavy, his heart weighing down even more.
The future seems bright, but it's out of sight.
The road is winding and endless.
Such is bitterness.
After a brief chat, the group fell silent, each preoccupied with their own thoughts as they set off toward home.
"Ku boy, come with me to town tomorrow. We'll sell the herbs together and buy some household items," Old Head Li said.
"Hmm," Chen Ku responded.
Upon returning to the village, everyone went to their respective homes.
He walked down the path to its end. Soon, a small, three-room courtyard surrounded by a fence came into view. Nearby were a few similar-looking houses belonging to neighbors.
Smoke rose from the chimney of Chen Ku's house. Near the cookstove, a blurry figure bustled about.
In the courtyard, a child with a runny nose was poking an anthill.
From inside the house came the occasional cough of an elderly woman.
"Mother, Sister-in-law, I'm back," Chen Ku called out.